Five Kisses
by Shizuku Tsukishima749
Summary: -SAO AU.- With each new kiss, their relationship deepens. Kiribeth.


_A/N:_ Hey, guys! Long time, no see! I am _not_ dead! I am _so sorry_ I haven't written anything in forever! I've been horribly sick for almost ten months now with something the doctors can't figure out ( _might_ be on the mend, I think, _finally_ ), and besides that, I was unemployed for nine months after graduating college, I now have a part-time job, and I just haven't had much inspiration to write fanfics for whatever reason. _But_ I am posting this now!

This actually came from a Tumblr meme a Kirito RPer friend sent my Lisbeth blog, stating, "Send me _f_ _ive times kissed_ for a drabble about five times our muses kissed.' So, thank that RPer for this sudden appearance! I wasn't planning on posting this, actually, but I was really proud of it after working so hard and it ended up _way_ longer than I planned (read: fanfic-worthy long), and I'd also been wanting to write a Kiribeth fic forever, so I figured I might as well! lol.

This is _also_ (sort of?) an AU, in that I took creative liberties with the SAO timeline and ending (since I highly dislike both in canon) and, obviously, Kirito never ends up with Asuna. Please note that this _also_ means that Kirito and Lis have had different experiences than in canon- not all the same things that happened in the anime or novels happened here - so their characters have developed differently.

Hope you enjoy, especially my fellow Kiribeth fans! Kiribeth, for the record, is my OTP for SAO, so just for future reference, don't expect any Kirisuna fics from me! Haha!

Oh, and for those who enjoy my One Piece fanfics, I may have an AU-ish fic coming soon!

* * *

 **Five Kisses**

The first time, it's an accident…of sorts.

Lisbeth doesn't think much of it at first. Kirito's spending the night with her because it's late, sharing a bed with her because her guest room's a wreck. With no lantern or sleeping bags between them, they're closer than they were in the dragon's nest, than they probably should be for propriety's sake, but they're the only ones in her house, the only ones who'll ever know. Besides, she trusts him more than she trusts anyone. He's not the kind of guy who'll make this weird—not in that way, at least.

Taking his hand, she smiles over at him one more time. "Goodnight, Kirito."

He returns the smile warmly, his blush deepening slightly when he notices the light one dusting her cheeks, and squeezes her hand in turn. "Goodnight, Lis. Sleep well." Quieter now. "Sweet dreams."

She picks up on that last part in an instant, expression softening. She understands. They all do. The nights are one of the toughest things about this world, this game. The shadows creep, failures haunt, the worst of them sending them screaming and crying in the lonely dark…

That's another reason she asked him to stay tonight. He hasn't said anything, but she knows his nightmares have been worse lately. And call it wishful thinking, but…she's hoping that having her ( _anyone_ , really, but it is _her_ theory) nearby while he sleeps will keep them at bay. They're safe and sound here in her quiet home in her quiet village, she's warm and adores him and just wants him to _rest_ , so…

 _Please_ work.

Luckily, she knows just the right words to send him off.

Or, rather, the right _gesture_.

Leaning forward slowly, both due to butterflies and to avoid alarming him, she moves in to kiss his cheek.

So imagine her surprise when her lips land on his instead.

She pulls back the moment she realizes, so fast it's like she's been burned or bitten. Wide-eyed with bright blushes staining both of their cheeks, she rushes to apologize. "I-I'm so sorry! T-that is _not_ what I was going for, I swear!"

He waves his hands in front of his person. "N-no, don't apologize! It was my fault! I-I'm the one who turned my head! _I'm_ sorry, Lis!"

The tension slowly leaving her, a loving smile takes its place. She shakes her head. "It was an accident." She waves a hand dismissively. "So no harm done, right?" Reaching out to hold his chin in place, she kisses his cheek without incident. "There. That ought to make up for it." A large yawn escapes. "Now, let's get some sleep. Goodnight."

Settling back into the bed, she scoots closer and prays she isn't crossing any boundaries when she hugs him around the stomach and snuggles into his chest—

—to hide the positively enormous beam she can't possibly let him see.

* * *

The second time, not so much.

She's working in her forge, completely immersed in her work. She doesn't notice a thing happening around her.

So when someone calls her name loudly to snap her out of it, she freezes mid-hit. Lifting her head, she blinks once before turning around to find…

 _Kirito…?_

She blinks a few more times before she realizes she's being rude and might even be worrying him. Shaking her head to clear it, a bright smile breaks out. "Hey, Kirito! What are you doing here?" She smirks, a hand going to her hip. "Does my masterpiece need touching up?"

He breathes a soft laugh and returns the smirk. " _No_ , your 'masterpiece' is in great shape, thank you very much."

There's a moment's pause, and then he's rubbing the back of his head and averting his eyes before seeming to make a decision to scroll through his inventory. For her part, she just stands there, unsure what he's up to, but more than willing to wait to find out. If nothing else, it's sure to be interesting.

And when he pulls it out…well, she's not disappointed.

It's the most beautiful bracelet she's ever seen. Made of thick, woven gold with small gemstones embedded meticulously at each interlocking point, it glitters unspeakably gorgeously in her forge's firelight.

She's been staring with wide eyes, forgotten to breathe, since he brought it out, and only desperation for air makes her remember. Her eyes gradually rise to meet his, and it takes her a few tries to find her voice. "Kirito…" she whispers, "…what is this…?"

He hesitates for a moment, his blush stronger now out of anticipation of her reaction, until he finally manages to say, "Look inside."

Raising an eyebrow, she does as he says regardless. A sharp, yet quiet gasp leaves her lips instantly, her face turning the color of her dress and free hand trembling as it covers her mouth. Tearful eyes almost don't dare to lock with his.

"Are you…" her voice is even lower than before, would be missed if he weren't standing as close as he is, "…a-are you _serious_ …?"

Entire form relaxing, he smiles lovingly, more so than he ever has before, and gently takes the bracelet from her to slip it on her right wrist. "I saw this and thought of you. I asked the goldsmith to inscribe it for me…" His flush returns, and he moves to rub the back of his head again as his smile turns sheepishly overjoyed. "I'm just glad you like it!"

Her eyes drop from his face to the bracelet, turning her wrist this way and that to watch the jewels glisten, to feel his hand gently reaffirm its grip each time. She snaps up at his last words with a distressed pout.

"'Like it'?" Bringing her wrist up in front of his face, she shakes it back and forth for emphasis, her face the definitions of determination and seriousness. "This is the most incredible thing anyone's ever given me." Wrapping that arm around his neck, she pulls him down to her level. "'Like it' is the understatement of the year." She leans in a little more and smirks like a devil to whisper against his lips, "And to make it _all_ complete…" she presses her lips against his with soft abandon, everything she's ever felt for him coming through, "…I love you, too."

* * *

The third time, they're in the rain.

All around them, it's chaos.

They'd been ambushed by Laughing Coffin not twenty minutes before, sustaining heavy casualties on both sides. The fight's over, this torrential downpour combined with an enraged Black Swordsman crippling their victory, he and the Assault Team's other elite players cutting down the PKers' numbers quicker than they'd readily admit. In the end, they'd opted for a rather quick strategical retreat.

Still, the effects linger long after. Wounded, unconscious players' bodies litter the ground, their comrades healing and waking them as they can. They'd be picking up the ones who died, too, but…there's nothing left to save. A shattering mass of pixels is all they have to remember their friends and family members by, never mind the looks of fear and pain and regret on their faces as the final blows were dealt.

But none of that matters to Kirito anymore. The only thing that does is the unconscious, red-streaked girl in his arms.

Her HP is down to the barest red. He wasn't there to help her when the PKers, noticing her _just slightly_ lower level and realizing who she was, ganged up on her. He wasn't there to keep her legs and hands and face from being cut up, her chest from being impaled, her throat from being slashed, her stomach from being gutted. He was supposed to have her back, but he didn't, was forcibly separated from her, and now…

Tear after tear slips down. He grits his teeth, hugs her tighter.

…now, _she's_ paying the price.

He was screaming when he first got to her side minutes ago, but it's since dissolved into begging and pleading through tearful, whispered sobs.

"H-hey…"

… _!_

A quaking, gashed hand cups his cheek, and his eyes, which have never left her face and scarcely blinked in case of signs of life, widen to their limits. A lurching, gasping sob leaves him. It's taken all the potions and crystals he has to keep her here even this long. _Please_ don't let this be a dream, the last time he sees her…a _goodbye_. " _L-_ … _-Lis_ …?"

She smiles for him as best she can, a pitiful imitation of her usual starlit-beam, but it's enough, the tears in her eyes born of happiness and pain as her HP slowly begins to rise at last.

"H-hey…" she repeats, voice raspy from her screams and fight to live, "…d-don't give up on me just yet…" She smirks, though this, too, is a sorry substitute. "I'm stronger than I look… You got that…Black Swordsman…?"

At his sobbing laugh in response, over the moon with joy and relief and _thank God_ , a tiny breath of one escapes her as well, radiant and teasing and _alive_.

And the next thing she knows, he's kissing her for all she's worth ( _everything_ to him).

* * *

The fourth time, it's in a new-old world.

She stood right by his side as he beat the Final Boss on Floor 100. They lost so many players getting to this point, in battle and to insanity and to the promise of a simpler life within the game itself. But they, she, Kirito, Asuna, Klein, Agil, and the strong-willed others who still believed in this mission that had been theirs from the start, kept going, and now…

Now, it's all over. After nearly three years of pain and suffering, of happiness and celebration, it's all gone. She can feel herself waking up…

Back in the real world.

The hospital room is whiter than white, so bright it hurts her eyes. She raises a hand to shield them, squinting until it gets better. The back of her hand brushes the NerveGear, and she freezes in a moment of panic. What Kayaba said about their brains frying if it's removed rings crystal clear as that first day. But then, Kirito flashes across her mind's eye, and she bites, then purses her lips. She wants to see him again, and after everything she's survived in SAO, damn it all to Hell if she's not brave enough for this.

Lifting it off her head, she doesn't dare breathe for the first few seconds. When it's been long enough that her lungs are begging for release, however, she figures she's in the clear. Taking a deep breath that ends in a huge sigh of relief, she sets it on the small table beside her bed.

She's about to call a nurse to let them know she's awake when she hears her door opening. From the sound of it, whoever it is is having a good deal of trouble. She'd help if she could, but…she has a feeling her legs wouldn't be able to handle it yet. She'd end up being more of a hindrance than a help.

 _Click!_

 _Phlat!_

 _Click!_

 _Phlat!_

 _Click!_

 _Phlat!_

He's using something to help him walk, it seems. That explains the trouble, then. Poor guy… Don't ask her why she thinks it's a guy. She just has a feeling.

It doesn't take long for the newcomer to make it around the privacy curtain, and when he does…!

Tears well and stream in seconds, and she's sobbing out his name before her mind can catch up. " _K-Kirito_ …!"

To make it easier for him, she scrambles (more clumsily than her pride'd like) to the end of her bed, where she holds out her arms and sobs some more at how _surreal_ and _wonderful_ this is. Wrapping their arms around each other the second they can, he collapses next to her on the bed, desperately tangling a hand in her hair and drawing her as close to him as possible while she buries her face in his chest and grips fistfuls of his gown.

Right now, they don't have time, let alone need, for spoken words. They're doing just fine with what they have going already.

But even after several minutes, it's still not _quite_ enough.

Slowly, painstakingly so, Kirito—well, Kazuto now, she supposes—pulls back and makes sure all traces of tears are gone from their faces. Then, he makes a bit of a show of fishing for something in his pocket, keeping his eyes there while he reins in his emotions (the nerves staining his cheeks a cherry red first on his list). Finally, he pulls out a closed fist, so whatever it is is clearly meant to be a surprise.

Holding it out to her, he inclines his head toward it. "Open it."

She's incredibly confused - they just woke up, so what could he have planned already? - but also more than a little excited. She misses the bracelet he gave her in the game already, intimately so. It was something she never, ever took off. It might just be her imagination, but she swears her wrist feels cold where it once was. Maybe, if she's really lucky, she'll be able to find someone whose skill she trusts enough to recreate it. With some minor adjustments, she could make it a present for _him_ this time.

That's an idea for the future, though. For now, she wants to know what he has up his sleeve—or in his palm, as it were.

So, she carefully uncurls his fingers one-by-one, half to tease him and half to increase the suspense for herself. What can she say? She's a reader at heart.

His pinkie comes up, but the jig was up long before that. She can't believe her eyes.

It's so reminiscent of his initial confession, it's almost scary. Except this time, he's down on one knee.

"Rika Shinozaki…L-Lisbeth…" his voice is shaking and he's blushing up a storm, and damn it all if he's not the most adorable thing even as new tears take place of the old, "…w-will you marry me?"

She doesn't care that her legs give out the moment her feet touch ground. She doesn't care that he, weak as well, falls to the floor with her after failing to attempt to catch her. As far as she's concerned, this is a much better vantage point anyway. Sprawled on top of him, she intertwines her fingers with his hand still holding the ring, her other arm moving to curl around his neck. Two can play the 'Remember when?' game.

" _Yes_!"

She kisses him like there's no tomorrow.

* * *

The last time, their lives are just beginning.

It's over a year later, but they've been out of the hospital long enough to be cleared as fully recovered. Thank goodness, too. Wedding planning in a hospital was the worst.

But it was all worth it because now, the day's finally come. They've just been married, and they're having the time of their lives at their reception. Asuna and Keiko, her co-Maids of Honor, and Ryo and Andrew, Kazuto's co-Best Men, are all having a blast dancing and messing around and talking, Andew's wife teasing him by regaling the 'youngsters' with marriage tales of her own. He whines and pretends to be betrayed, but gets even with stories of _his_ own that end with "Don't tell the _children_ that!" and a few well-placed, mostly teasing slaps. Either way, the group is in a state of seemingly-constant raucous, joyous uproar, and the rest of the guests, few as there are, are simply enjoying watching them have such a good time. More than anyone else, they deserve it.

" _So_ , Mrs. Kirigaya," eighteen-year-old Kazuto starts off softly, slipping an arm around his new wife's waist, a more masculine version of Lis' bracelet dangling from his wrist, "is this everything you ever wanted?"

Turning to him with furrowed brows, she replies, "Of course not."

His eyes widen with alarm and worry, question after question. But before he can go too far, she softens, tugs him down by his collar, and smiles sweeter than she ever has.

"You gave me that the moment we met."

He leans in, and she laughs, beaming.

This is a kiss of legends.

* * *

 _A/N:_ Hope you enjoyed! Since this _is_ my first Kiribeth/SAO fic and pretty much my first time even slightly writing Kirito, I'd really love your feedback! Thank you so much for reading!


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